According to him, Ghana still faces challenges with the teaching of French in schools, despite the importance of the language to the country’s relations with its neighbouring countries.

He noted that Ghana is surrounded by French-speaking countries, making French an important language for communication, trade, education and regional cooperation. However, the country continues to face challenges in getting enough qualified French teachers to meet the needs of schools.

President Mahama therefore questioned the wisdom of placing additional pressure on the education system by suggesting the introduction of more foreign languages when Ghana has not yet fully addressed the challenges surrounding the teaching of French. His comments come amid public discussion over the government's proposed revisions to the language policy in Ghana's basic schools.

The issue generated debate after reports suggested that languages such as Arabic and Chinese could be introduced into the school curriculum. Some members of the public expressed concerns about whether schools had the teachers, learning materials and other resources required to effectively teach additional foreign languages.

The clarification is intended to address concerns and misinformation surrounding the government's language policy. President Mahama's comments also highlight the broader challenge facing Ghana's education sector: expanding opportunities for students while ensuring that schools have the resources and trained teachers needed to deliver quality education.

The President's position suggests that the focus should not simply be on adding more subjects to the curriculum, but also on ensuring that existing programmes are properly implemented. The government has consequently urged parents, teachers and the general public to rely on official information rather than reports suggesting that pupils will be forced to study Chinese or Arabic under the proposed curriculum.

Photo credit: Graphic online